Carbon-holder for electric furnaces.



No. 824,153. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

' G. 0. BEWARE. CARBON HOLDER FOR ELECTRIC FURNACES 1 APPLICATION FILED MAY3, 1904.

FIG

- FIG. a.

I l I I l l I "I I I I I I I l I I I I I l I I I I I I I INVENTOR: WITNESSES: Q- 5% g I By A/Zomeys,

kM/z i No. 824,153.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE O. SEWARD, OF HO LCOMBSBOCK. VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILLSON ALUMINUM COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, Y., A CORPOR-A- v TION on NEW YORK.

CARBQN-l-IOLDER FOR ELECTRIC FURNACES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26. 1906.

applicatio ifiled use, 1904. Serial No. 206,260.

to suspend the electro es from carbon-holders through which the connection of the electrode with the line is made, the cables ca'rry .ing the current being connected directly with r the carbon-holder.

It is necessa generally to dress or finish the end of the e ectrode so as to obtain a good contact between it andv the carbon-holder. The holder in these constructions carries the weight of the electrode,

. which weight in most cases tends to lessen the intimacy of contact between the two. This construction also introduces a certain amount of difficulty in the renewal of electrodes or in the changing from electrodes of one size to another.. It also necessitates a renewal of the entire holder when any damage is done by arcing .or otherwise. i

The present invention-provides a method of suspending the carbon and connecting it with the cables constituting the line -'wire which eliminates or minimizes the disadvantages above referred to and which presents certain novel features of advantage.

An important feature of the invention is the use of a separate contact member, preferably in the form of a metallic tapered bushing screwed on the head of the electrode and electrically connected with theline-wire. Such a bushing facilitates the renewal of electrodes it bein only necessary to unscrew the old electro e th arefrom and screw in a new one. Also by the use of a series of bushings with screw-threads of different diameters the holder may be readily adapted to electrodes of different sizes by. a mere change of the bushing. Also the wear or accidental damage which results by arcing is taken by the easily-renewable and inexpensive. bushing, and the remaining parts of the holder are not injured.

The line wire or cable is preferably connected to the bushing by means of an intermediate surrounding the bushing and connecting device including, preferably, a rin aving a tapere surface which is in engagement with the tapered surface of the bushing, so that the two make an intimate contact. ,Preferably the electrode supports the ring, whose weight and the weight of the cables insures the desired close contact. The electrode, for example, may be supported by a suspendingrod connected to the bushing or contact member mounted on the head of the electrode. The surrounding ring has preferably a. passage for circulatin water, and thus cooling it and by contact t e bushings.

Various other points of improvement are referred to in detail hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention. I

' Figure '1 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, through a complete holder with a carbon'therein. Figs-2 and 3ar'e elevations, partly in section, ofdifferent contact memers or. bushings.

' Referring to the embodiments illustrated,

the entire carbon-holder comprises a sus pending-rod, which is. connected to the electrode by a'contact member, and a connecting device for carrying the current to the electrode. .The suspending-rod isindicated at A and is attached at its lower end to a contact member B. The connecting device comprises a ring 0, surrounding the contact memer B, a guide D, surrounding the suspendingrod A," and having an upward rojection to which in connected'the line-cab e E, and hollow members F, connectin the ring C with the guide I). The 'electro e G is supported within the contact member'B.

The contact'member B is in the form of a bushing or cap or head formed with tapered screw-threads correspondingwith similar screw-thre'adsformed on the top of theelectrode. In Figs. ,1" and 3 the member B iss formed with internal screw-threads fitting upon an u wardly-projectin threaded portion H of the'electrode. In ig. 2 the mem ber B is a solid metal head having a projecting screw-threaded portion H, which fits into the correspondingly-threaded electrode. The outside of the member B is turned with a taper. to fit into a corresponding cavity in the surrounding ring, whereby it may be drawn or forced into close electrical contact with the latter. I

The member B is designed to serve not only as a bushing for making electrical contact, but as a suspending cap or head for con.' nection to the supporting structure.

The member B may be connected with the suspending-rod A by' having an upwardly-proj ecting rod J screwed into the to of the member B and fitting within a ring carried on thelower end of the suspending-rod. A slot through the projecting rod J ,and corresponding slots through the ring'K permit of their connection by means of a pin or wedge L. The suspending-rod A is supported on a fixed support M, preferably by means of an adjusting-nut N screwing onto the upper end of the rod. The member B is designed to facilitate the supporting of the carbon in the manner explained, whether used as an intermediate contact member or with any other method of connecting the carbon to the line.

The ring 0, as stated, is' formed with a tapered sur the contact member B and is preferably provided with a circumferential passage 0, through which water is circulated to cool the.

ring and also the member ,B. A guide D sur rounds the suspending-rodAsomewhat above the top of the electrode and is provided with an upwardly-projecting sleeve, to which the cable E may be attached in any usual or suitable manner. The ring C and the guide D are connected by' means of hollow rods or pipes F, which serve to convey water to and from the assage O in the ring C in the manner indicate by the arrows. The tubes F are of copper, so as to efficiently convey the current from the cables to the lower ring G. The connecting device, including the ring C and parts connected thereto, is supported upon the electrode G (through the intermediate bushingB forming, in effect, a part of the electrode) and by its weight and the weight of the cables presses down with considerable force, so as to maintain an intimate contact.

In order to facilitate changing the size of electrode used, a series of bushings B may be provided havin a contact-surface of the same shape and liaving the screw-threads for connection with the electrodes of different diameters. Thus in Fig. 3 is shown a bushing B the inclination of the face of which is the same as that of B in Fig. 1, while its internal screw-thread is smaller to accommodate a smaller electrode G;

In order to remove an electrode, it is only necessary to knock out the pin L and lower the carbon and the surrounding ring until the guide D rests on the top of the ring K and then withdraw the carbon with its bushing. A new carbon or a new bushing may then be applied, the bushing forced into the ring C to make a good fit, and the whole lifted until the rod J enters the ring K and the pin L can be replaced.

Though I have described with great particularity of detail certain specific embodiace fitting the tapered surface of derstood thereby that the invention is limited to the specific embodiments disclosed. Va-

rious modifications thereof in detail and in the arrangement and combination of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the invention.

What I claim is- I 1. The combination with an electrode of a metallic bushing B and a surrounding member, said bushing screwed on the head of the electrode and electrically connected with ,the line-wire and having a tapered facefor making a good electrical contact With'SllCh surrounding member.

2. The combination with an electrode, of'a metallic tapered bushing B screwed on the head of the same, and a ring connected with the line-wire and having a tapered socket into which said bushing fits and makes close contact.

3. The bushing B adapted to be connected I with a suspending-rod, having a screw-.

thread for connection with an electrode and having a tapered surface for making a good electrical contact with a surrounding member.

4. The combination with an electrode, of a bushing on the same, a support, and a ring inde endent of said su port, connected with the inc-wire and in e ectrical contact with said bushing.

5. The combination with an electrode, of a suspending-rod, a ring connected with the guide D, and hollow connecting members F.

between the ring and guide'and for communicating with said passage.

8. The combination of an electrode and a heavy connecting device supported by said electrode and adapted by the weight of said device to make an intimate contact therewith.

9. The combination of an electrode, a con tact-member thereon having a tapered surface,- and a heavy connecting device supported by said contact member and adapted by the weight of said device to make an intimate contact therewith.

10. The combination with an electrode of acontact member fastened on the head thereof, an upwardly-projecting rod J on said member, a suspending-rod having a ring K, and a coupling-pin L passing through said rod J and ring K.

I oo' 11. The combin ation with an electrode, of a bushing thereon, a suspending-rod attached to said bushing and supporting the same and the electrode, and a connecting device supported by said bushing and electrically connected thereto and to the line independently of the suspending-rod.

12. The combination with an electrode, of a bushing screwed on'the head of the electrode and having a tapered surface, a suspending-rod attached to said bushing and supporting the same and the electrode, and a ring having a tapered surface by which it is supported upon said bushing, and connected thereto and to the line.

In itness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE O. SEWARD.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. LANCASTER, F. VON KI'JGELGEN. 

